While I’ve been carrying on with my normal routine, something about NY pops into my head. Random things trigger memories….like the snow on Fargo…packaging on a delivery…words from a song…….all bringing fond memories of events, but also reminding me that things should change.
So instead of working through a rare few days off as I normally would, I went out. From a non art related lunchtime meeting involving lots of cake to an evening amateur dramatic production of a murder mystery. Something I would never do, but the opportunity popped up and I took it.
Apart from shopping for art supplies (is that actually counted as work?) I’ve done nothing. Will I feel guilty – or worse still panic because I’m now behind schedule?
At the moment I don’t care.
I’ve been reassessing everything since NY. Things that I hadn’t thought of before. I don’t know if it was because I was mixing with a different set of people, being in a different environment, or just simply because I had the luxury of time, but I know that all of this work without pay (and sometimes without pleasure!) isn’t what I want.
The Open studio tour is looming…. I don’t know why they call it that as I don’t think many artists are actually opening their studios and showing their method of working. It’s more a chance to find a venue and display work that is framed and ready to sell. The emphasis is very much on sales.
I don’t sell work.
Or rather….I didn’t sell work, but now I must try to. The pressure is killing me. That’s probably another reason why I’ve done nothing this weekend. (Nothing as in work – I’ve actually had a really good time otherwise!)
I’ve been flicking through ‘Steal like an artist’ by Austin Kleon on Amazon. Like ‘How to be artist’ by Michael Avatar … it’s one of those books I see in lots of bookshops, and think ‘how dare they tell me what to do’…but then take a sneaky peek anyway. It’s full of things that have been said before and a little clichéd, but it’s funny and has lifted my spirits. Sometimes it’s good for someone to state the obvious for you to take notice.
So I’m back in work tomorrow and what have I achieved after 3 days off?
Hmmm…quite a lot actually.
